1. Field of Invention
The present invention is directed to methods and systems for use in security systems in securing the premises of establishments. The methods and systems are equally applicable to both business and household security systems.
More specifically, the present invention is directed to methods and systems that allow for a system to detect when a communication medium is disrupted and use an alternate communication medium to contact a reporting center, when some triggering event occurs.
2. Description of Related Art
In home and other types of security systems, a network of sensors is used to secure the premises of a property. The security system maintains contact with various sensors used and detects and reports changes in those sensors. In the case of home security systems, sensors are placed at access points, such as doors and windows, and the system monitors those sensors to determine when access points are opened or closed. Sensors can also be used to sense other states, such as fire detection by a smoke or heat detector and area sensors that detect the heat or presence of unauthorized persons. When the system is armed, the system reports an alarm event when a predetermined change in any of the sensors occurs. Security systems may also have a “panic” button that will cause an alarm event to be reported even though no sensor has changed its state.
The reporting by the system usually occurs through a landline telephone line to a monitoring headquarters providing the monitoring services. Some business systems use dedicated lines that do not rely on telephone service, but a majority of the systems rely on telephone lines. A potential point of failure occurs when a person trying to gain access to premises cuts the telephone or other lines before gaining access to the premises. In that case, since there is no way for the system to report the alarm event to the monitoring headquarters, someone may gain access without worrying about interference of others contacted by the monitoring headquarters in the case of an alarm event.
It is also possible for the monitoring headquarters to periodically poll security systems to make sure that reporting can occur when needed, but this would tie up system resources of the monitoring headquarters and also preclude the landlines from other uses while such polling is occurring. Additionally, landlines are subject to corrosion or wear and tear and services can be cut off even when there is no problem with the security system. Also, locations that do not have a landline access cannot be monitored, and other access control security systems without monitoring would need to be employed.
Therefore, there is a need for method and apparatus to provide an alternate communication medium to contact a reporting center, when some event, for which the system is designed to detect, occurs. There is also a need for such an apparatus and method that can utilize the alternate communication medium when the ordinary communication medium becomes unavailable or unusable.